Melon hybrid bucanero

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of melon hybrid Bucanero and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of melon hybrid Bucanero and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a melon plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another melon plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, more specifically, to the development of melon hybrid Bucanero and the inbred melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits in a single variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include any trait deemed beneficial by a grower and/or consumer, including greater yield, resistance to insects or disease, tolerance to environmental stress, and nutritional value.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination. There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates if pollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower of the same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollen comes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over many generations become homozygous at almost all gene loci and produce a uniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A cross between two such homozygous plants of different genotypes produces a uniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for many gene loci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number of loci produces a population of hybrid plants that differ genetically and are not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makes performance unpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development of homozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and the evaluation of the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection are examples of breeding methods that have been used to develop inbred plants from breeding populations. Those breeding methods combine the genetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-based sources into breeding pools from which new lines and hybrids derived therefrom are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new lines and hybrids are evaluated to determine which of those have commercial potential.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a melon plant of the hybrid designated Bucanero, the melon line ITA39-4006AN or melon line WSH39-1046AN. Also provided are melon plants having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of such a plant. Parts of these melon plants are also provided, for example, including pollen, an ovule, scion, a rootstock, a fruit, and a cell of the plant.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN comprising an added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait may comprise a genetic locus that is, for example, a dominant or recessive allele.

In one embodiment of the invention, a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN is defined as comprising a single locus conversion. In specific embodiments of the invention, an added genetic locus confers one or more traits such as, for example, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance, and modified carbohydrate metabolism. In further embodiments, the trait may be conferred by a naturally occurring gene introduced into the genome of a line by backcrossing, a natural or induced mutation, or a transgene introduced through genetic transformation techniques into the plant or a progenitor of any previous generation thereof. When introduced through transformation, a genetic locus may comprise one or more genes integrated at a single chromosomal location.

The invention also concerns the seed of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. The melon seed of the invention may be provided as an essentially homogeneous population of melon seed of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. Essentially homogeneous populations of seed are generally free from substantial numbers of other seed. Therefore, in one embodiment, seed may be provided of hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN that forms at least about 97% of the total seed, including at least about 98%, 99% or more of the seed. The seed population may be separately grown to provide an essentially homogeneous population of melon plants designated Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerable cells of a melon plant of hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN is provided. The tissue culture may be defined as capable of regenerating melon plants capable of expressing all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the starting plant, and of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotype as the starting plant. Examples of some of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN include those traits set forth in the tables herein. The regenerable cells in such tissue cultures may be derived, for example, from embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistils, flowers, seed and stalks. Still further, the present invention provides melon plants regenerated from a tissue culture of the invention, the plants having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided for producing melon seeds, plants and fruit, which processes generally comprise crossing a first parent melon plant with a second parent melon plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent melon plants is a plant of melon line ITA39-4006AN or melon line WSH39-1046AN. These processes may be further exemplified as processes for preparing hybrid melon seed or plants, wherein a first melon plant is crossed with a second melon plant of a different, distinct genotype to provide a hybrid that has, as one of its parents, a plant of melon line ITA39-4006AN or melon line WSH39-1046AN. In these processes, crossing will result in the production of seed. The seed production occurs regardless of whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing” comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent melon plant, often in proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediated by insect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually. Where the plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without the need for direct human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first and second parent melon plants into plants that bear flowers. A third step may comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as by emasculating the flowers (i.e., killing or removing the pollen).

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination between the first and second parent melon plants. Yet another step comprises harvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent melon plants. The harvested seed can be grown to produce a melon plant or hybrid melon plant.

The present invention also provides the melon seeds and plants produced by a process that comprises crossing a first parent melon plant with a second parent melon plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent melon plants is a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. In one embodiment of the invention, melon seed and plants produced by the process are first generation (F₁) hybrid melon seed and plants produced by crossing a plant in accordance with the invention with another, distinct plant. The present invention further contemplates plant parts of such an F₁ hybrid melon plant, and methods of use thereof. Therefore, certain exemplary embodiments of the invention provide an F₁ hybrid melon plant and seed thereof.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of producing a plant derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN, wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of the hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN with a second plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or a second plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generation. In further embodiments, the method may additionally comprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of a subsequent generation from said seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generation and crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or a second plant; and repeating the steps for an additional 3-10 generations to produce a plant derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. The plant derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN may be an inbred line, and the aforementioned repeated crossing steps may be defined as comprising sufficient inbreeding to produce the inbred line. In the method, it may be desirable to select particular plants resulting from step (c) for continued crossing according to steps (b) and (c). By selecting plants having one or more desirable traits, a plant derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN is obtained which possesses some of the desirable traits of the line/hybrid as well as potentially other selected traits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method of producing food or feed comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b) collecting at least one melon from the plant.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN is provided. The phrase “genetic complement” is used to refer to the aggregate of nucleotide sequences, the expression of which sequences defines the phenotype of, in the present case, a melon plant, or a cell or tissue of that plant. A genetic complement thus represents the genetic makeup of a cell, tissue or plant, and a hybrid genetic complement represents the genetic make up of a hybrid cell, tissue or plant. The invention thus provides melon plant cells that have a genetic complement in accordance with the melon plant cells disclosed herein, and seeds and plants containing such cells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles, and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic of the expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles. It is understood that hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN could be identified by any of the many well known techniques such as, for example, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybrid genetic complements, as represented by melon plant cells, tissues, plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid genetic complement of a melon plant of the invention with a haploid genetic complement of a second melon plant, including another, distinct melon plant. In another aspect, the present invention provides a melon plant regenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid genetic complement of this invention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of determining the genotype of a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN comprising detecting in the genome of the plant at least a first polymorphism. The method may, in certain embodiments, comprise detecting a plurality of polymorphisms in the genome of the plant. The method may further comprise storing the results of the step of detecting the plurality of polymorphisms on a computer readable medium. The invention further provides a computer readable medium produced by such a method.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of the invention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unless specifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standard deviation of the mean for the device or method being employed to determine the value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive. When used in conjunction with the word “comprising” or other open language in the claims, the words “a” and “an” denote “one or more,” unless specifically noted otherwise. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include” are open-ended linking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more of these verbs, such as “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes” and “including,” are also open-ended. For example, any method that “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limited to possessing only those one or more steps and also covers other unlisted steps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more traits is not limited to possessing only those one or more traits and covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and any specific examples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants, seeds and derivatives of melon hybrid Bucanero, melon line ITA39-4006AN and melon line WSH39-1046AN. The hybrid Bucanero is produced by the cross of parent lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. The parent lines show uniformity and stability within the limits of environmental influence. By crossing the parent lines, uniform seed hybrid Bucanero can be obtained.

The development of melon hybrid Bucanero and its parent lines can be summarized as follows.

A. ORIGIN AND BREEDING HISTORY OF MELON HYBRID BUCANERO

The parents of hybrid Bucanero are ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. These parents were created as follows:

Parent ITA39-4006AN was derived from several generations of single-seed selections from self-crosses of the hybrid Fiola.

Parent WSH39-1046AN was derived from several generations of single-seed selections from self pollinations of the BC1 generation of Castella×TAMU130 where Castella was the recurrent parent.

The parent lines are uniform and stable, as is a hybrid therefrom. A small percentage of variants can occur within commercially acceptable limits for almost any characteristic during the course of repeated multiplication. However no variants are expected.

B. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MELON HYBRID BUCANERO, MELON LINE ITA39-4006AN AND MELON LINE WSH39-1046AN

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plant having the physiological and morphological characteristics of melon hybrid Bucanero and the parent lines thereof. A description of the physiological and morphological characteristics of such plants is presented in Tables 1-2.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Hybrid Bucanero Comparison Variety - CHARACTERISTIC Bucanero Olympic Gold 1. Type cantaloupe cantaloupe 2. Area of best adaptation in the U.S.A. most areas most areas 3. Seedling (just before the development of the first true leaf) length of hypocotyl long (Bimbo, Ronda) long size of cotyledon medium (Futuro, very large Sancho) intensity of green color of cotyledon medium (Candy, Piel medium de Sapo) 4. Leaf (mature blade of third leaf) shape reniform reniform lobes shallowly lobed not lobed color dark green (Rio dark green Gold) RHS Color Chart value 147A 147A length 84 mm 78 mm width 115 mm 114 mm surface pubescent pubescent 5. Leaf Blade (fully developed but not old leaves, preferably between the 5^(th) and 8^(th) node when the plant has at least 11 nodes) size large (Don, Sucrero) medium intensity of green color medium (Doral, dark Galia) development of lobes medium (Piel de weak Sapol) length of terminal lobe medium (Clipper, short Gama) dentation of margin weak (Clipper, weak Védrantais) blistering weak (Galia) weak 6. Petiole attitude semi-erect (Peko) semi-erect length long (Goldgen) medium 7. Plant fertility - sex expression (at full andro-monoecious andro-monecious flowering) (Piel de Saoi) habit vine vine time of male flowering medium (Catagoria) medium time of female flowering medium (Braco, medium Catagoria, Vital) time of ripening medium (Védrantais) early number of days from seeding to harvest 112 111 8. Young fruit hue of green color of skin green (Lucas) green intensity of green color of skin dark (Galia) medium density of dots dense (arava) dense size of dots small (Lucas) small contrast of dot color/ground color medium (Arava) strong conspicuousness of groove coloring medium (Gama) medium intensity of groove coloring light medium length of peduncle long (Corin) short thickness of peduncle 1 cm from fruit thin (Solarking) medium extension of darker area around large small peduncle 9. Fruit (ripe fruit) change of skin color from young fruit late in fruit late in fruit to maturity development development (Amarillo Oro, Galia) length long (Catagoria, medium Toledo) length (at edible maturity) 15 cm 12 cm diameter medium (Catagoria, narrow Galia) diameter (at edible maturity) 13 cm 13 cm ratio length/diameter small to medium medium (Aril, Edén) weight (at edible maturity) 1511 gm 1146 gm position of maximum diameter at middle (Piel de at middle Sapo, Védrantais) shape in longitudinal section broad elliptic (Corin, broad elliptic Sardo) surface (at edible maturity) netted netted blossom scar (at edible maturity) conspicuous conspicuous rib presence (at edible maturity) absent absent shipping quality (at edible maturity) fair (Short Distance excellent Shipping) abscission (at edible maturity) do not abscise do not abscise ground color of skin green (Gohyang, Piel green de Sapo) intensity of ground color of skin light dark hue of ground color of skin whitish (Romeo) absent or very weak density of dots absent or very sparse absent or very (Charentais) sparse density of patches absent or very sparse absent or very (Rochet) sparse warts absent (Piel de Sapo) absent strength of attachment of peduncle at strong (Clipper, strong maturity Costa) shape of base rounded (Arava) rounded shape of apex rounded (Alpha, rounded Honey Dew) size of pistil scar medium (Chartenais, medium Eros, Verdol) grooves absent or very weakly absent or very expressed (Piel de weakly expressed Sapo, Arava) creasing of surface absent or very weak absent or very (Védrantais) weak cork formation present (Dalton) present thickness of cork layer thin (Riosol, medium Védrantais) pattern of cork formation netted only (Galia, netted only Perlita) density of pattern of cork formation sparse (Védrantais) medium rate of change of skin color from absent or very slow absent or very maturity to over maturity (Clipper, Doral, slow Galia, Honey Dew, Piel de Sapo) width of flesh in longitudinal section medium (Toledo) medium (at position of maximum fruit diameter) main color of flesh orange (Védrantais) orange intensity of orange color of flesh light (Fantasy, medium Oloroso) firmness of flesh (firmness assessed in firm (Braco, Geamar) firm the central third of the fruit) shelf life of fruit (time that the fruit short (Galia) short remains firm while in storage) 10. Rind Net net presence abundant abundant distribution covers entire fruit covers entire fruit coarseness medium coarse medium coarse interlacing some complete interstices shallow medium deep 11. Rind Texture soft, firm or hard? hard hard thickness at medial 4 mm 2 mm 12. Rind Color primary color (at edible maturity) buff green RHS color chart value 157A 139A mottling color (at edible maturity) white RHS color chart value 155A net color (at edible maturity) white white RHS color chart value 155C 155C primary color (at full maturity) yellow yellow white RHS color chart value 3D 158A mottling color (at full maturity) white RHS color chart value 155B net color (at full maturity) yellow orange white RHS color chart value 160D 159C 13. Flesh color near cavity (at edible maturity) orange orange RHS color chart value 24C 26B color in center (at edible maturity) orange orange RHS color chart value 23B 29A color near rind (at edible maturity) green green RHS color chart value 137A 138A refractometer % soluable solids (center 50% 46% of flesh) aroma (at edible maturity) faint strong flavor (at edible maturity) somewhat spicy somewhat spicy 14. Seed Cavity length 93 mm 85 mm width 61 mm 63 mm shape in cross section circular triangular 15. Seed (fully developed and dry seeds, after washing and drying in the shade) length medium (Avara, short Sancho) width medium (Avara, medium Sancho) shape not pine-nut shape pine-nut shape (Toledo) color cream yellow (Galia, cream yellow Piel de Sapo) intensity of color light (Goldgen) dark number of seeds per fruit 449 411 grams per 1,000 seeds 31 gm 32 gm *These are typical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values that are substantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

TABLE 2 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Line ITA39-4006AN Comparison CHARACTERISTIC ITA39-4006AN Variety - Oro Rico 1. Type cantaloupe cantaloupe 2. Area of best adaptation in the U.S.A. most areas most areas 3. Seedling (just before the development of the first true leaf) length of hypocotyl short (Arava, medium Clipper) size of cotyledon small (Candy, medium Lunasol) intensity of green color of cotyledon medium (Candy, medium Piel de Sapo) 4. Leaf (mature blade of third leaf) shape reniform reniform lobes not lobed not lobed color dark green (Rio dark green Gold) RHS Color Chart value 147A 147A length 69 mm 80 mm width 96 mm 118 mm surface pubescent pubescent 5. Leaf Blade (fully developed but not old leaves, preferably between the 5^(th) and 8^(th) node when the plant has at least 11 nodes) size small (Geaprince, medium Lunasol) intensity of green color dark (Gama, medium Gustal) development of lobes weak (Boule d'or) weak length of terminal lobe short (Perlita) short dentation of margin weak (Clipper, weak Védrantais) blistering medium (Costa) weak 6. Petiole attitude semi-erect (Peko) erect length long (Goldgen) medium 7. Plant fertility—sex expression (at full andro-monoecious andro-monecious flowering) (Piel de Saoi) habit vine vine number of days from seeding to harvest 112 111 time of male flowering medium (Catagoria) medium time of female flowering medium (Braco, medium Catagoria, Vital) time of ripening medium medium (Védrantais) 8. Young fruit hue of green color of skin green (Lucas) green intensity of green color of skin light (Fimel) dark density of dots sparse (Fimel) dense size of dots medium (Arava) small contrast of dot color/ground color weak (Lucas) strong conspicuousness of groove coloring medium (Gama) medium intensity of groove coloring medium (Gama, medium Topper) length of peduncle short (Lince, Haros) short thickness of peduncle 1 cm from fruit thin (Solarking) medium extension of darker area around large small peduncle 9. Fruit change of skin color from young fruit very late in fruit very late in fruit to maturity development or no development or no change (Futuro, change Piel de Sapo) length medium (Marina, medium Spanglia) length (at edible maturity) 13 cm 13 cm diameter medium (Catagoria, medium Galia) diameter (at edible maturity) 14 cm 12 cm ratio length/diameter small (Buster, very small to small Supermarket) weight (at edible maturity) 1436 gm 1154 gm position of maximum diameter at middle (Piel de at middle Sapo, Védrantais) shape in longitudinal section circular/round circular/round (Alpha, Galia) surface (at edible maturity) netted netted blossom scar (at edible maturity) conspicuous obscure rib presence (at edible maturity) present absent number of ribs per fruit (at edible 8 maturity) rib width at medial (at edible maturity) 47 mm ribs surface (at edible maturity) netted suture depth (at edible maturity) shallow (Golden Delight) suture surface (at edible maturity) smooth shipping quality (at edible maturity) excellent (Long excellent Distance Shipping) abscission (at edible maturity) do not abscise when ripe shelf life of fruit (time that the fruit medium (Clipper) short remains in storage) ground color of skin green (Gohyang, yellow Piel de Sapo) intensity of ground color of skin medium medium hue of ground color of skin greenish (Geamar, greenish Honey Dew, Solarking) density of dots absent or very absent or very sparse sparse (Charentais) density of patches absent or very absent or very sparse sparse (Rochet) warts absent (Piel de absent Sapo) strength of attachment of peduncle at very strong very weak maturity (Daimiel, Eloro) shape of base rounded (arava) rounded shape of apex rounded (Alpha, rounded Honey Dew) size of pistil scar small (Alpha, medium Categoria) grooves strongly expressed absent or very (Védrantais, Galia) weakly expressed width of grooves medium (Biga) depth of grooves shallow (Galia) color of grooves green (Chartenais) creasing of surface medium (Costa, absent or very weak Piolin) cork formation present (Dalton) present thickness of cork layer thick (Geamar, thick PMR 45) pattern of cork formation netted only (Galia, netted only Perlita) density of pattern of cork formation sparse (Védrantais) medium rate of change of skin color from slow (Goloso) slow maturity to over maturity width of flesh in longitudinal section medium (Toledo) medium (at position of maximum fruit diameter) main color of flesh orange (Védrantais) orange light (Fantasy, medium Oloroso) firmness of flesh firm (Braco, firm Geamar) at over maturity: hue of color of skin orangish yellow orangish yellow (Drake, Gama) at over maturity: intensity of yellow light (Dulcinea) medium color of skin 10. Rind Net net presence abundant abundant distribution spotty covers entire fruit coarseness medium coarse medium coarse interlacing some complete interstices shallow shallow 11. Rind Texture soft, firm or hard? hard firm thickness at medial 6 mm 2.86 mm 12. Rind Color primary color (at edible maturity) buff yellow RHS color chart value 196C 161B net color (at edible maturity) buff yellow RHS color chart value 196C 160D furrow (suture) color (at edible green maturity) RHS color chart value 138C primary color (at full maturity) green yellow RHS color chart value 130C 161D mottling color (at full maturity) white RHS color chart value 155D net color (at full maturity) yellow buff RHS color chart value 160D 162C furrow (suture) color (at full maturity) green RHS color chart value 145D 13. Flesh color near cavity (at edible maturity) orange orange RHS color chart value 24C 25B color in center (at edible maturity) orange orange RHS color chart value 23C 25B color near rind (at edible maturity) green green RHS color chart value 141B 138B refractometer % soluable solids (center 45% 44% of flesh) aroma (at edible maturity) faint faint flavor (at edible maturity) somewhat spicy somewhat spicy 14. Seed Cavity length 83 mm 79 mm width 65 mm 63 mm shape in cross section triangular triangular 15. Seed (fully developed and dry seeds, after washing and drying in the shade) length short (Elario, medium Katsura Giant) width narrow (Aurabel) broad shape pine-nut shape (Piel not pine-nut shaped de Sapo) color cream yellow cream yellow (Galia, Piel de Sapo) intensity of color dark (Doral) light number of seeds per fruit 410 330 grams per 1,000 seeds 22 gm 33 gm *These are typical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values that are substantially equivalent are also within the scope of the invention.

C. BREEDING MELON PLANTS

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for producing seed of melon hybrid Bucanero involving crossing melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. Alternatively, in other embodiments of the invention, hybrid Bucanero, line ITA39-4006AN, or line WSH39-1046AN may be crossed with itself or with any second plant. Such methods can be used for propagation of hybrid Bucanero and/or the melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN, or can be used to produce plants that are derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or the melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN. Plants derived from hybrid Bucanero and/or the melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN may be used, in certain embodiments, for the development of new melon varieties.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties is well known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varieties may be created by crossing hybrid Bucanero followed by multiple generations of breeding according to such well known methods. New varieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selecting such a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines, it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit the desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Once initial crosses have been made, inbreeding and selection take place to produce new varieties. For development of a uniform line, often five or more generations of selfing and selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way of double-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breeding lines without the need for multiple generations of selfing and selection. In this manner true breeding lines can be produced in as little as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced from microspores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploid embryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments (e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be grown into haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In either case, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with the invention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with a plant of the invention and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossing transfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbred source to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, for example, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to a donor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locus or loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are then mated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection in the resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from the non-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations with selection for the desired trait, the progeny have the characteristic being transferred, but are like the superior parent for most or almost all other loci. The last backcross generation would be selfed to give pure breeding progeny for the trait being transferred.

The plants of the present invention are particularly well suited for the development of new lines based on the elite nature of the genetic background of the plants. In selecting a second plant to cross with Bucanero and/or melon lines ITA39-4006AN and WSH39-1046AN for the purpose of developing novel melon lines, it will typically be preferred to choose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit the desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Examples of desirable traits may include, in specific embodiments, high seed yield, high seed germination, seedling vigor, high fruit yield, disease tolerance or resistance, and adaptability for soil and climate conditions. Consumer-driven traits, such as a fruit shape, color, texture, and taste are other examples of traits that may be incorporated into new lines of melon plants developed by this invention.

D. PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

As described above, hybrid Bucanero exhibits desirable agronomic traits. The performance characteristics of Bucanero were the subject of an objective analysis of the performance traits relative to other varieties. The results of the analysis are presented below.

TABLE 3 Performance Characteristics For Bucanero LEAVES FRUIT FEATURES VIRUS SPOT SET ESTIMATED PREPACKED PLANT INCI- INCI- UNI- NET- BRIX YIELD. BOXES/HA VARIETY CYCLE DENCE DENCE SET FORMITY TING % PSI 6′S 9′SJ 9′S 12′S 15′S 18′S C. Gold Intermediate/ 2./1 4 3./2 3./2 3 13.4 7 77 257 545 285 56 10 Late Florentino Early 7 7 3 3 2 12 6.3 0 20 226 440 222 0 Bucanero Intermediate 6 6 4 4 3 12 6.6 0 175 473 224 12 10

E. FURTHER EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In certain aspects of the invention, plants described herein are provided modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait. Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant via the backcrossing technique. The term single locus converted plant as used herein refers to those melon plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to the single locus transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique. By essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics, it is meant that the characteristics of a plant are recovered that are otherwise present when compared in the same environment, other than an occasional variant trait that might arise during backcrossing or direct introduction of a transgene.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improve or introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parental melon plant which contributes the locus for the desired characteristic is termed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers to the fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcross protocol and therefore does not recur. The parental melon plant to which the locus or loci from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is known as the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in the backcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent) that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. The resulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to the recurrent parent and the process is repeated until a melon plant is obtained wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered in the converted plant, in addition to the single transferred locus from the nonrecurrent parent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for a successful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol is to alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the original variety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety is modified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrent parent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desired genetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphological constitution of the original variety. The choice of the particular nonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one of the major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to the plant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristic or trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrent and nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplified when the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, a recessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive and dominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desired characteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny melon plants of a backcross in which a plant described herein is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired trait from the non-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of melon the recurrent parent as determined at the 5% significance level when grown in the same environmental conditions.

New varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. The technique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrent parents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used to replace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain more desirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtain different desirable characteristics from each.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularly selected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improved by backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not be transgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to, herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, insect resistance, modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, and altered nutritional quality. These comprise genes generally inherited through the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as a dominant trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initial cross are assayed for viral resistance and/or the presence of the corresponding gene prior to the backcrossing. Selection eliminates any plants that do not have the desired gene and resistance trait, and only those plants that have the trait are used in the subsequent backcross. This process is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of melon plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent on the phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on genetic investigations. For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic marker which is closely genetically linked to a trait of interest. One of these markers can be used to identify the presence or absence of a trait in the offspring of a particular cross, and can be used in selection of progeny for continued breeding. This technique is commonly referred to as marker assisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or other assay which is able to identify the relative presence or absence of a trait of interest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes. Procedures for marker assisted selection are well known in the art. Such methods will be of particular utility in the case of recessive traits and variable phenotypes, or where conventional assays may be more expensive, time consuming or otherwise disadvantageous. Types of genetic markers which could be used in accordance with the invention include, but are not necessarily limited to, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

F. PLANTS DERIVED BY GENETIC ENGINEERING

Many useful traits that can be introduced by backcrossing, as well as directly into a plant, are those which are introduced by genetic transformation techniques. Genetic transformation may therefore be used to insert a selected transgene into a plant of the invention or may, alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which can be introduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plants that are well known to those of skill in the art and applicable to many crop species include, but are not limited to, electroporation, microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and direct DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ either friable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogenic callus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or other organized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partially degrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them to pectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues in a controlled manner.

An efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segments to plant cells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particles are coated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propelling force. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten, platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspension are concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively, immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culture medium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriate distance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plant cells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, which can be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through a screen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surface covered with target cells. The screen disperses the particles so that they are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates. Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may be used to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system for introducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique is that DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassing the need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. Modern Agrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E. coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations (Klee et al., 1985). Moreover, recent technological advances in vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer have improved the arrangement of genes and restriction sites in the vectors to facilitate the construction of vectors capable of expressing various polypeptide coding genes. The vectors described have convenient multi-linker regions flanked by a promoter and a polyadenylation site for direct expression of inserted polypeptide coding genes. Additionally, Agrobacterium containing both armed and disarmed Ti genes can be used for transformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is efficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and defined nature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediated plant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is well known in the art (Fraley et al., 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methods based on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment, electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g., Potrykus et al., 1985; Omirulleh et al., 1993; Fromm et al., 1986; Uchimiya et al., 1986; Marcotte et al., 1988). Transformation of plants and expression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al. (1994), and Ellul et al. (2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for any gene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers, scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance, nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest. Examples of constitutive promoters useful for plant gene expression include, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expression in most plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., 1985), including in monocots (see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., 1990; Terada and Shimamoto, 1990); a tandemly duplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, the enhanced 35S promoter (P-e35S); the nopaline synthase promoter (An et al., 1988); the octopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., 1989); and the figwort mosaic virus (P-FMV) promoter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 and an enhanced version of the FMV promoter (P-eFMV) where the promoter sequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem; the cauliflower mosaic virus 19S promoter; a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter; a commelina yellow mottle virus promoter; and other plant DNA virus promoters known to express in plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response to environmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmental signals can also be used for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells, including promoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., 1988), (2) light (e.g., pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al., 1989; maize rbcS promoter, Schaffner and Sheen, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-binding protein promoter, Simpson et al., 1985), (3) hormones, such as abscisic acid (Marcotte et al., 1989), (4) wounding (e.g., wun1, Siebertz et al., 1989); or (5) chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It may also be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal et al., 1987; Schernthaner et al., 1988; Bustos et al., 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to plants of this invention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from another species, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are present in the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells by genetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction or breeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended to refer to genes that are not normally present in the cell being transformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc., as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which are normally present and that one desires to express in a manner that differs from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express. Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any gene or DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless of whether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The type of DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is already present in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a different organism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequence containing an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding a synthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and could potentially be introduced into a melon plant according to the invention. Non-limiting examples of particular genes and corresponding phenotypes one may choose to introduce into a melon plant include one or more genes for insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) gene, pest tolerance such as genes for fungal disease control, herbicide tolerance such as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, and genes for quality improvements such as yield, nutritional enhancements, environmental or stress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plant physiology, growth, development, morphology or plant product(s). For example, structural genes would include any gene that confers insect tolerance including but not limited to a Bacillus insect control protein gene as described in WO 99/31248, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880,275, herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. In another embodiment, the structural gene can confer tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate as conferred by genes including, but not limited to Agrobacterium strain CP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPS gene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, or glyphosate oxidoreductase gene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes by encoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targeted inhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example via antisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Bird et al., 1991). The RNA could also be a catalytic RNA molecule (i.e., a ribozyme) engineered to cleave a desired endogenous mRNA product (see for example, Gibson and Shillito, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces a protein or mRNA which expresses a phenotype or morphology change of interest is useful for the practice of the present invention.

G. DEFINITIONS

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a gene locus, all of which alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cell or organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci on a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybrid progeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of the parents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce one or more single locus conversions from one genetic background into another.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes from different plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation of the organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor or a chemical agent conferring male sterility.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenic plants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets of chromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend to segregate together more often than expected by chance if their transmission was independent.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited in codominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygote are readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e., heritability of 1.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, which characteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer to genetic loci that control to some degree numerically representable traits that are usually continuously distributed.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” are used interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to a specified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence or environmental condition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing some symptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with an acceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant or tolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop, even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of a melon variety are recovered in addition to the characteristics of the single locus transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique and/or by genetic transformation.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does not show a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from the mean.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or a different type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of a plant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has been introduced into the genome of a melon plant by transformation.

H. DEPOSIT INFORMATION

A deposit of melon hybrid Bucanero disclosed above and recited in the claims, has been made with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of deposit was Jan. 26, 2010. The accession number for those deposited seeds of melon hybrid Bucanero is ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620. Upon issuance of a patent, all restrictions upon the deposits will be removed, and the deposits are intended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. The deposits will be maintained in the depository for a period of 30 years, or 5 years after the last request, or for the effective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and will be replaced if necessary during that period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

REFERENCES

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplary procedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, are specifically incorporated herein by reference:

-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175 -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,365 -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055 -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435 -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052 -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,275 -   An et al., Plant Physiol., 88:547, 1988. -   Bird et al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991. -   Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989. -   Callis et al., Plant Physiol., 88:965, 1988. -   Choi et al., Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994. -   Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591, 1990. -   Ellul et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 107:462-469, 2003. -   EP 534 858 -   Fraley et al., Bio/Technology, 3:629-635, 1985. -   Fromm et al., Nature, 312:791-793, 1986. -   Fromm et al., Plant Cell, 1:977, 1989. -   Gibson and Shillito, Mol. Biotech., 7:125, 1997 -   Klee et al., Bio-Technology, 3(7):637-642, 1985. -   Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989. -   Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988. -   Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989. -   Odel et al., Nature, 313:810, 1985. -   Omirulleh et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993. -   Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985. -   Roshal et al., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987. -   Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991. -   Schernthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988. -   Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989. -   Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985. -   Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990. -   Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986. -   Wang et al., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998. -   Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990. -   WO 99/31248 

1. A seed of melon hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620.
 2. A plant of melon hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620.
 3. A plant part of the plant of claim
 2. 4. The plant part of claim 3, wherein said part is selected from the group consisting of a fruit, a rootstock, a scion, a cell, an ovule and pollen.
 5. A melon plant, or a part thereof, having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of the melon plant of claim
 2. 6. A tissue culture of regenerable cells of melon hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620.
 7. The tissue culture according to claim 6, comprising cells or protoplasts from a plant part selected from the group consisting of embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistil, flower, seed and stalks.
 8. A melon plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 6, wherein the regenerated plant expresses all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of melon hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620.
 9. A method of producing melon seed, comprising crossing the plant of claim 2 with itself or a second melon plant.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said second melon plant is diploid.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein said second melon plant is not diploid.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the plant of melon hybrid Bucanero is the female parent.
 13. A seed produced by the method of claim
 9. 14. A plant produced by growing the seed of claim
 13. 15. A method for producing a seed of a hybrid Bucanero-derived melon plant comprising the steps of: (a) crossing a melon plant of hybrid Bucanero with a second melon plant, a sample of seed of said hybrid Bucanero having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620; and (b) allowing seed of a Bucanero-derived melon plant to form.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: (c) selfing the plant grown from said Bucanero-derived melon seed or crossing it to a second melon plant to yield additional Bucanero-derived melon seed; (d) growing said additional Bucanero-derived melon seed of step (c) to yield additional Bucanero-derived melon plants; and (e) repeating the steps of (c) and (d) to generate further Bucanero-derived melon plants.
 17. A method of producing a melon plant derived from hybrid Bucanero comprising the steps of: (a) growing a diploid reversion of a melon plant of hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620; (b) allowing said diploid melon plant to self-pollinate; and (c) harvesting seed from said diploid melon plant.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of: (d) crossing said diploid melon plant with itself or another melon plant to yield additional Bucanero-derived melon seed; (e) growing said diploid Bucanero-derived melon seed of step (d) to yield additional Bucanero-derived melon plants; and (f) repeating the crossing and growing steps of (d) and (e) to generate further Bucanero-derived diploid melon plants.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising doubling the chromosome number of said diploid reversion to produce a tetraploid melon plant.
 20. A method of vegetatively propagating a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero comprising the steps of: (a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620; (b) cultivating said tissue to obtain proliferated shoots; and (c) rooting said proliferated shoots to obtain rooted plantlets.
 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising growing plants from said rooted plantlets.
 22. A method of producing a hybrid Bucanero-derived plant comprising a desired trait, the method comprising: (a) crossing a first parent plant of hybrid Bucanero, a sample of seed of said hybrid having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620, with a second melon plant that comprises a desired trait to produce F1 progeny; (b) selecting an F1 progeny that comprises the desired trait; (c) crossing the selected F1 progeny with the first parent plant of hybrid Bucanero to produce backcross progeny; (d) selecting backcross progeny comprising the desired trait and the physiological and morphological characteristic of the first parent plant of melon hybrid Bucanero; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) one or more times in succession to produce a hybrid Bucanero-derived plant comprising a desired trait.
 23. A method of producing a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero comprising an added desired trait, the method comprising introducing a transgene conferring the desired trait into a plant of melon hybrid Bucanero, wherein a sample of seed of the melon hybrid Bucanero has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-10620.
 24. A method of producing melons comprising: (a) obtaining the plant of claim 2, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity; and (b) collecting melons from the plant. 